New rules of lifting for women page 2

[Kata]

I finished the NROLFW program last year. I liked it, but all the alternating sets eventually made it seem like the workouts were taking forever. It's got a good variety of exercises though. I gained 11lbs of lean mass (beginner's muscle) but I didn't lose any body fat, probably because I wasn't as honest with my 20% as I thought I was. Never was able to to a pull-up *sigh*.

[Ayla2010]

Ayla, assuming you are eating for a healthy weight loss of 1-3 pounds per week, you'd never compensate by gaining that much muscle in a week. I probably shouldn't say never because I'm sure some woman somewhere has blogged about gaining 2 pounds of muscle a week by lifting houses and eating whole cows for breakfast.

Muscle is the most metabolically active part of our bodies. Then organs and bones. Then fat (which is pretty much metabolically inert). You want muscle.

As to having so much weight to lose, maybe think of it this way: you don't have to lose 90 pounds, you just have to lose 10 pounds nine times. Take the big (seemingly) insurmountable task and chop it up into do-able pieces.

Lift, walk, eat healthy. I'm cheering for you!

When doing CrossFit, the scales never moved down, but my measurements did, and I know that is more important, and I shouldn't let a number on the scale define me, but damn its hard!

[Ayla2010]

Note that you should not be trying to lose body fat with this program as you are gonna need the extra calories to get through them.

This is what I wondered. Is this just CW or not?

[Kharnath]

Note that you should not be trying to lose body fat with this program as you are gonna need the extra calories to get through them.

This is what I wondered. Is this just CW or not?

You're a morbidly obese, sedentary woman with a BMI in the mid-forties. I think it's safe to say that you can lose fat and improve your strength simultaneously.

[Ayla2010]

morbidly obese?
Holy shit, I guess I am I never thought of that, I knew I was obese though.

[Iron Fireling]

You're a morbidly obese, sedentary woman with a BMI in the mid-forties. I think it's safe to say that you can lose fat and improve your strength simultaneously.

She mentions her weight, not her height... How can you calculate her BMI without knowing her height? (Unless, she posted it elsewhere and she missed it). If she's tall, then her BMI isn't in the 40s! (For example if she's about 5'7" or so she'd have a BMI in the high 30s).

But yes, I concur... it is absolutely possible to lose fat AND gain muscle at the same time. I don't see the point in not having a goal to do both (I do CrossFit and I'm currently overweight, although not obese). I need to lose about 30lbs of FAT. I have been able to increase strength and endurance doing CF, and I figure that I've built some muscle in that time.

[giliakareo]

I eat when hungry and eat only clean.

[Ayla2010]

I am 158 cm tall, so yeah its probably right that I am morbidly obese.
But I will not be for much longer!

[spuggygirl]

But I will not be for much longer!

That's the spirit!

I bought the book and read through it a while back, and liked what I saw - but being new to lifting I wasn't all that comfortable at being confident of getting the technique right from a book. In the end I hired a trainer and it's the best thing I ever did.

Totally agree about not waiting to lose weight before starting to lift heavy - in five months I've lost about 17lbs (not much for the first couple of months but then I also reduced carb intake too and the weight started to drop)...it's not a huge weightloss by some peoples' standards, but I'm happy with the slow, steady and sustainable approach. But what's more important is that my body shape has begun to change massively - I've always been very top heavy, but with no waist or hips and a big belly...but now I actually have a waist. Also it is the only thing that has started to shift the belly fat. And the most important thing is the absolute buzz I get from it....chronic cardio just made me tired (and my knees hurt), weight training makes me feel amazing!

[catholicchick]

Have you checked out Convict Conditioning? It's an excellent beginning book for lifting your own body weight. I will do a pull up in 2013 and this is my course for trying. Something to check out.